Harlem by Langston Hughes Ms. Pacheco English II
Langston Hughes (1902-1967) Born Feb. 1, 1902 in Joplin Missouri Attended Columbia & Lincoln University Poet, Novelist & Playwright He was the leading voice of the Harlem Renaissance (a cultural movement that celebrated African American art, music and literature during the 1920s and 1930s).
“Harlem” BY LANGSTON HUGHES What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a sore— And then run? Does it stink like rotten meat? Or crust and sugar over— like a syrupy sweet? Maybe it just sags like a heavy load. Or does it explode?
Dramatic Situation in this poem: The speaker ponders what can happen when a dream is deferred.
Speaker in This Poem: An Unfulfilled Dreamer
Tone of This Poem: Somber and Depressing
Poetical Devices Figurative Devices Simile: “Does it dry up/like a raisin in the sun?” (2-3) Hyperbole: “Or does it [the dream] explode?” (11) Sound Devices End Rhyme: “Does it stink like rotten meat?/ Or Crust and sugar over—/ Like a syrupy sweet?” (6-8) Consonance: “And then run?” (5)
Theme When dreams are unfulfilled, they can weigh a person down and even become explosive.
Stanza 1: Line 1 “What happens to a dream deferred?” Deferred (v.) put off for a later time The speaker poses a question for the reader to ponder— What can happen can when one must delay the fulfillment of his/her dream?
Stanza 2: Lines 2-3 “Does it dry up/like a raisin in the sun?” A dream deferred may lose its “juice” and become dried up and useless.
Stanza 2: Lines 4-5 “Or fester like a sore—/And then run?” A dream deferred may cause one to feel agitated like a festering sore. Or, it may run—which implies the dreamer may abandon the dream altogether.
Stanza 2: Lines 6-8 “Does it stink like rotten meat Stanza 2: Lines 6-8 “Does it stink like rotten meat?/Or crust and sugar over--/like a syrupy sweet?” When a dream is left to fester, it may rot and smell. A smelly, rotten dream is a constant reminder that the dream has spoiled If the dream doesn't spoil, it may form a sugary crust, very much like a scab over the festering dream, which also serves as a sickly sweet reminder that the dream has tragically not been realized.
Stanza 3: lines 9-10 “Maybe it just sags/like a heavy load.” The words “sag” and “heavy” suggest that the weight of the unfulfilled dream is weighing down the dreamer.
Stanza 4: Line 11 “Or does it explode?” An oppressed individual may rebel against the society that squelches or attempts to defer his/her dream. An oppressed dream may explode.
Langston Hughes envisioned the American dream for everyone Langston Hughes envisioned the American dream for everyone. He wanted freedom and equality for all people.
Works Cited Broken Dreams. Digital Image. Hageling Grief Recovery. Web Works Cited Broken Dreams. Digital Image. Hageling Grief Recovery. Web. 19 Jan. 2016. http://hagelingriefrecovery.com/can-broken-dreams-cause-grief/ Biography of Langston Hughes. Biographical Sketch. Black History Month 2012.Web. 19 Jan. 2016. http://mije.org/features/black-history-month- 2012/langston-hughes Dream Deferred. Digital Image. Clue Cult. Web. 19 Jan. 2016. http://www.cluecult.com/?p=1709 Explosion. Digital Image. Newman Physics/Organization. Web. 19 Jan. 2016. http://cdn.phys.org/newman/gfx/news/hires/2015/54f8851f13594.jp Langston Hughes Quote. Digital Image. A-Z Quotes. http://www.azquotes.com/author/7013-Langston_Hughes?p=2 Portrait of Langston Hughes. Digital Image. University of Illinois. Web. 19 Jan. 2016. http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/poets/g_l/hughes/hughes.htm